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Assistant Technology Minister Andrew Charlton Says Labor Will Avoid Strict Rules on AI to Keep Pace With Rapid Technology

The Australian Financial Review

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Date Published
8 Oct 2026
Priority Score
4
Australian
Yes
Created
8 Oct 2026, 04:00 am

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Description

Labor will avoid strict AI rules, with Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton warning rapidly changing technology could make prescriptive laws obsolete.

Summary

The Australian government is signaling a shift toward flexible, principles-based regulation for frontier AI rather than rigid, prescriptive laws that risk becoming obsolete. Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton emphasizes a governance framework focused on mandatory testing and risk reporting for high-capability models to manage potential societal harms. This approach prioritizes agility in response to rapid advancements in frontier AI capabilities while maintaining a focus on safety through developer accountability. The stance reflects a significant development in Australian AI policy, attempting to balance innovation with the reduction of catastrophic risks associated with unmanaged model deployment.

Body

PoliticsFederalAIPrint articleRonald MizenPolitical correspondentOct 8, 2026 – 12.23pmLabor will shy away from imposing strict rules on artificial intelligence labs, with Assistant Technology Minister Andrew Charlton warning the pace of change could lead to looming AI laws being outdated before the ink is dry.Instead, the government is exploring imposing requirements for frontier AI labs to have rigorous systems to test and report on their models and manage the risk of their products, with penalties if they fall short.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleRead MoreAIAndrew CharltonOpenAIAnthropicGoogleData centresData Centre Gold RushRegulationFetching latest articles